SWE - Conference 2008 - (Page 24)

Capt. Gomez, one of only three female captains in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps (along with Katherine “Kate” Gregory and Erica Sahler), is the mother of fraternal twins. She advises female colleagues to put their families first. Now the deputy director of installations requirements and management in the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and the Environment), Gomez said that she and her husband, John Gaillard, lived separately during their first year of marriage because of their assignments. “We would see each other on weekends and made the best of it,” she said. Gaillard, who lived in Alameda, Calif., flew to San Diego to see his wife each weekend. Gomez, 45 and a 25year veteran, is the first mother to be promoted to the rank of captain, and the fifth female captain in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. “It’s a balancing act that all working parents have to deal with,” she said. Gomez already was committed to family time and the idea that she was part of a team, rather than being indispensable, when she was put on two-and-a-half Capt. Paz Gomez, left, and Cdr. Stephanie Jones share a moment earlier this year. Capt. Gomez is keynote speaker for the WE08 conference. See pages 30 and 93. Facts and Figures Women are increasingly finding career satisfaction in the military, but they still gravitate to traditional roles, according to military data. That’s partly because women are prohibited from serving in most combat positions. Women make up small numbers in the top ranks — one lieutenant general/vice admiral in the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, and two in the Navy, according to U.S. Department of Defense data as of Sept. 30, 2007. The numbers grow to near or more than 1,000 for lieutenant colonel/commander in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, but stand at 41 in the Marines, the data show. The greatest numbers of women serve in lower- to mid-level officer ranks. Here’s the breakdown: I The Coast Guard counts 5,000 women, or 12 percent of its total activeduty work force. I The Air Force’s percentage of women is 19.57 percent, or 63,760. Nearly 18 percent of the officers are women, and about 20 percent of the enlisted corps are women. I The Navy counts 50,856 women, or 15 percent of the active-duty population. I Women make up 6 percent of the Marine Corps’ population, with 1,135 officers and 10,575 enlisted personnel. I Women make up 13.7 percent of the Army’s active-duty personnel. Women compose 16.7 percent of commissioned officers, or 11,824; 8.4 percent of warrant officers, or 1,159; and 13.4 percent of enlisted personnel, or 58,117. A Department of Defense policy in force since 1994 prohibits women from being assigned to any unit below brigade level when the unit’s primary mission is direct combat on the ground. So women cannot serve in positions such as in submarines, tanks, and field artillery. The Navy has determined that women expect different outcomes from their military experiences, depending on their ages. Female baby boomers are more idealistic than their Gen-X counterparts, who are cynical and shaped by divorce, recession, and morally suspicious social leaders, according to Navy recruiting materials. Millennials, in contrast, are more optimistic and want to be involved in teamwork. - By Sandra Guy months of mandatory bed rest while pregnant with her now 8-year-old twins. As for the idea of pregnancy impeding career success, Gomez said, “I didn’t worry about it or what others thought. People are people. They will form whatever impression they have. If anyone spent any time with me, they would realize I’m not a slacker.” Indeed, Gomez passed up a chance to retire, stayed in the service, and actively recruits and mentors younger women. Gomez enjoys being active in a women’s professional network started by women in the Civil Engineer Corps. “We wanted to focus on things particular to women: pregnancy, breast-feeding, work/family balance, staying informed on issues, and keeping women in the military,” she said. The Navy changed its policy on deployment in June 2007, so that now women can stay ashore for a year, rather than just four months, after giving birth. That way, the mothers have time to breast-feed without being sent overseas or on a sea voyage. Other family-friendly policies under consideration include allowing service members to telecommute from home and the option to take two years off following birth and return with rank intact. Col. Golden, 45, the mother of a 15-yearold daughter, Megan, and 3-year-old fraternal twins, Caitlyn and Matthew, willingly mentors junior women and hosts brown-bag get-togethers to talk about issues ranging from how to pump breast milk (many women go out to their cars to do so), to how to deal with a man who tries to talk over them, to how to cope with being in a marriage where both partners are looking to climb the ladder in the military. Golden and her husband, Ph.D. aeronautical and astronautical engineer Gary Willmes, have lived apart for seven years during her 21 years in the military. Willmes took care of 24 SWE CONFERENCE 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Conference 2008

SWE - Conference 2008 Contents President’s Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Readers’ Forum ICWES14 Women of Courage Engineering’s Grand Challenges — What’s Your Pick? Diversity from the Ground Up Membership Information & Calendar A&B FY08 Membership Meeting Minutes Engineering World Point of View Career Toolbox Bookshelf SWE Smiles SWE Scrapbook Conference Sponsors and Program Overview Corporate Partnership Council Thursday Conference Program Friday Conference Program Saturday Conference Program Corporate Members Opportunity Index

SWE - Conference 2008

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